Benefits of Yoga in Recovery
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There is no clear cut way to approach addiction recovery. Just as human beings are individuals, so too is each journey towards lasting recovery a different path with different tools that work specifically for that person. One such tool that has helped many people is yoga. Indeed, many different addiction rehab centers have utilized yoga as part of their treatment options. Here are some of the many benefits that yoga can have in recovery…
Alleviates anxiety and stress
First of all, yoga has amazing stress relieving properties. The opportunity to stretch out the muscles and practice the breathing exercises that yoga requires releases tension in the body and enables its practitioners to relax. At the end of a long yoga session, a person should feel at ease and be washed over with a peaceful feeling. This is important in addiction recovery settings, where stress can be a powerful trigger that creates cravings for a recovering addict.
Keeps a clear mind
Addiction is a behavior disease that primarily exists because of its ability to take hold of the mind. While a person’s physical dependencies to certain substances plays a major part in addiction, it is through the rewiring of the brain’s reward system that substance abuse is able to take such a strong hold of a person. When addiction controls the brain, the dopamine system for your body is hijacked so that your ability to feel satisfaction is stunted. Yoga helps stabilize your body’s natural dopamine production and release endorphins, so that your brain can regain balance and security.
Contributes to physical health
At the end of the day, addiction is a disease that is both mental and physical. As such, living a generally healthier lifestyle will also be a contributing factor to addiction recovery. Yoga helps build physical strength and balance, and keeps the body on a healthy cycle. The willpower that yoga teaches users to have over their body is also incredibly beneficial for recovering addicts.
Is a spiritual experience
One of the primary attributes that yoga requires is mindfulness. Many individuals who do yoga describe it as a spiritual experience, due to the awareness that it requires you to have over the body and the state of mind that it puts you in. Because most addiction recovery programs teach how important mindfulness is to recovery, yoga is beneficial to help recovering addicts find a spiritual zone to help hone that mindfulness.
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